Current law so outdated it carries fines in shillings
TOUGHER penalties for cyclists who break the law are being sought by the police following an increase in road accidents involving bicycles.
Assistant Chief of Police Andreas Iatropoulos yesterday said that he is “troubled” by the rise and called on Parliament to vote in a new bill to increase safety.
“The existing law covering bicycles dates back to municipality regulations from the 1930s and the fine stipulated, which is not more than €10, is still written in shillings on the relevant documents,” he said.
“Obviously, this is not a deterrent and we call on the relevant authorities to increase the sum to a more appropriate figure.”
Iatropoulos wants to make it compulsory for working lights to be used when it is dark, as well as for bicycles to be fitted with reflective strips.
“Riders must also wear a helmet and appropriate clothing in order to be seen, and it goes without saying that they follow the Highway Code.”
He added that only yesterday, he was made aware of a case in Larnaca where a cyclist was injured after pedaling up a one-way street and colliding with a car.
“We are seeing more and more foreigners on the island, with many riding old bicycles which in many cases are not road-worthy, meaning they are putting their lives at risk. This is not an acceptable situation.”
When told of the proposal, cyclist Ioannis Evagorou said a change in the law is desperately needed.
“I’ve been cycling around Nicosia for over ten years and only last month was in Amsterdam, where the bicycle is a common form of transport,” he said. “The difference between the bicycle-friendly attitude in Holland compared to bicycle-hating motorists here is like night and day.”
He added that if the authorities are serious about increasing safety and incorporating cyclists into our streets, “more bicycle lanes are needed and not only in tourist areas.”
A motorist agreed, saying island-wide bicycle lanes should be quickly introduced, “for everybody’s safety.”
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “At the moment, a cyclist can appear out of nowhere right in front of my car and I’m amazed that I haven’t hit one so far.”
Back in October, Environment Commissioner Charalambos Theopemptou met with Podilatokinisis, an organisation for the promotion of bicycle transport, to discuss the problems cyclists faced in Cyprus.
The main obstacles include cars using bicycle lanes as parking, the lack of maintenance of lanes as rubbish, rocks, bushes and even electricity poles stand in the way of cyclists, and the fact that there are no outward bicycle exits from town centres.
Not only are cycle lanes sporadic and insufficient, but there is currently no law that regulates bicycle movement, leaving cyclists exposed.
“There is no legislation on the movement of bicycles,” admitted Lakis Polykarpou, a senior Town Planning officer. “Legislation is necessary to regulate the movement of vehicles to determine who has priority on the road. When the legislation on the movement of vehicles was passed there were no bicycle lanes. Now that the bicycle is entering our lives, there is a need to legislate.”
According to Theopemptou, it is neither safe nor practical to ride a bike, due to the absence of sufficient infrastructure and bicycle traffic regulation. “There are some bicycle lanes, but when these reach a crossing, or traffic lights, there’s no way for the bicycles to cross legally. There must be a warning to the driver that a bicycle is approaching,” he said.
